U.S. religious right enters electoral fray (Ralph Reed invades Canada)

[sonicx]

TORONTO -- The man known to have blazed the trail for the religious-conservative movement in the United States rallied Canadian faith leaders yesterday, urging them to get behind the vote.

Ralph Reed, who led hundreds of thousands of members of the religious right to get the vote out during the era of former U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, told delegates to a Christian conference last night to put on their work boots and tennis shoes and knock on doors.

"Come Jan. 23, there's going to be a new Canada of conservative traditional values," he told a cheering crowd of 400 people who greeted his remarks with a standing ovation.

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"We're not trying to change a church into a political party, and we're not trying to change a political party into a church, but if the people of the church don't get involved, somebody else will."

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Charles McVety, president of Canada Christian College, said yesterday any political changes in Canada would not be nearly as extreme as they have been south of the border. "The demographics are just too different," he said. "There will never be an evangelical movement here."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051201/ELXNREED01/TPNational/Canada

[yellowcanine]

1. I would say let them keep him but that wouldn't be neighborly. He may be

an asshole but he is our asshole and we need to deal with him ourselves.

[ShockediSay]

12. MAYBE he was the one behind the attempted hijacking of troop carriers

seized on Canada's Hwy. 407!




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1962002

MAYBE there IS a worldwide right wing conspiracy!!!

"Never Mind!" (with respects to Gilda 'Emily Litella' Radner)

[4morewars]

2. "Those are friendly Indians, General Custer."

Famous last words.

[tanyev]

3. Gosh, you'd think with all of his ties to the Abramoff investigation

he'd be ashamed to show his face at a "Christian" conference. Just shows that he has no shame or decency.

You should post this in the Canada forum, too.

[Zambero]

4. Perhaps Reed's ties to this scandal is why he split the country

What better cover for one's transgressions, than to travel northward in order to convert those heathen Canadian masses?

[leesa]

18. They are his willing robots. They will do his bidding without question

because they are too stupid to question.

[AlCzervik]

5. I think there has been a lot of conservatives visiting Canada for

quite a while now, i guess they have Fox News now. I bet the wingnuts have been quietly working the great white north for many years now.

[PlanetBev]

6. Can someone tell me what happened in Canada recently

I don't understand the Canadian political system. I think there was a vote recently, but what happened? Was it overwhelmed by the Right?

If so, and if America style Right Wing Christian politics catches on in Canada, there truly will be nowhere to run.

[sonicx]

7. The ruling party was involved in a scandel...

And the opposition parties brought the government down in a confidence vote.

I don't believe Canada's in danger of US style politics. The right wing party probably won't win or at least can't get a majority.

[u4ic]

8. Here's a DU thread about it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1952829

Canadians won't go for Christian politics, there are too few fundies here. The vast majority of Canadians believe in separation of church and state.

Harper's trying to stir up that 'Christian' vote (all 500 of them), but he'll fail to get elected, in the end.

[leesa]

19. That's what we thought too.

[Canuck55]

9. Fuck off Ralph.

Don't you have some money laundering to do for Abramoff or something?

[daleo]

10. This won't help the Conservatives

For every non-voting church member they rally to the Conservative Party, they will lose one or more switch voters (that can go Liberal or Conservative) who are leery of fundamentalism.

[AX10]

11. Martin's managers should use this against the Conmen....

to get a Liberal Majority.

[Ian David]

13. Canada has hate speech laws, right? I hope he crosses the line up there.

[izzie]

14. How did he get out of his cage?

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[applegrove]

15. Keep it up. It will scare us to no ends. And the Cons will loose. Everyone

is annoyed with the current government - but Cons cannot even pull away from the pack. They've hit their ceiling. Until they go back to being progressive conservatives (as the old party was called) they will not win a majority. Even then it was rare.

[superconnected]

16. I don't know wether to feel sorry for canada

or beg them to keep him.

[leesa]

17. Canada...please don't let these evil people invade your country.

Ralph will probably be in jail soon, but don't be conned by Ralph clones.

[u4ic]

20. I hope Canadians already know

not to trust anyone named Ralph...

[sonicx]

21. .